Why plants not rooting?

[composition]

I started this tank about 9 months ago, and did several rescaping.

In the last couple of weeks, the plants did not seem too healthy and they are not propagating as previously.

Tank.jpg

The plants seem be uprooting itself, and they become loose and floats to the surface. Any advice from bros here please?

[composition]

I forgot to mention the plants in the lawn are
1. Eleocharis sp 'mini'
2. Elatine hydropiper

[thebaldingaquarist]

What soil are you using and for how long?

[Urban Aquaria]

Could be due to depletion of certain nutrients in the soil, hence the weaker plant roots melt away and the plant detaches and floats up.

9+ months seems around the right time to start adding root tabs or sticks into soil substrate to rejuvenate it, maybe can try that.

[composition]

What soil are you using and for how long?

I using ADA Amazon and it is less than a year, about 9 months only

[thebaldingaquarist]

root tabs maybe required in your case. Get tablets or sticks that are high in iron.
I assume that when the tank was set up, no bacteria additives were added to the bottom of the substrate? if so, when you punch in the root tabs, be careful not to stir the soil too much. after placing the tablets or sticks, do a partial water change.

[Shadow]

Do you dose liquid fert? Co2? Do you trim your plant?

[composition]

root tabs maybe required in your case. Get tablets or sticks that are high in iron.
I assume that when the tank was set up, no bacteria additives were added to the bottom of the substrate? if so, when you punch in the root tabs, be careful not to stir the soil too much. after placing the tablets or sticks, do a partial water change.

When first setting up I did put bacteria and fertiliser before the soil

[composition]

Do you dose liquid fert? Co2? Do you trim your plant?

Yes I dose liquid fertiliser and iron. There is CO2 injection too

[Urban Aquaria]

Your substrate depth looks relatively shallow, so i guess the soil's initial nutrient reserves naturally gets used up quicker... i did notice in my tanks with ADA aquasoil, the areas with deeper soil level (usually at the back) takes a noticeably longer time before the rooted plants there start to show deficiencies and slow down growth.

It's not a big issue though, just need to add in root fert tabs to boost the soil's nutrient content for the rooted plants... even in ADA's guide book, they recommend injecting root sticks into the soil from 6 months onwards, especially for scapes with rooted plants.

[Shadow]

Yes I dose liquid fertiliser and iron. There is CO2 injection too

What fert you dose? N, P and K?

[composition]

Could it be as a result of the rocks that I put in? Before the introduction of the rocks, my plants were growing fine. After the rocks, my plants began to deteriorate.

[thebaldingaquarist]

That depends. When you put in the rocks, the substrate was very disturbed?

[Urban Aquaria]

Could it be as a result of the rocks that I put in? Before the introduction of the rocks, my plants were growing fine. After the rocks, my plants began to deteriorate.

That's very unlikely, unless the rocks somehow contain strong toxic chemicals.

Most likely it was just a coincidence... if your lights and Co2 are still at the same settings and the plants have been growing well until now, then the next most common cause of poor plant growth would be insufficient nutrients, it's the most essential resource that can run out or become deficient, and it shows though the health of the plants.

[jamesneo]

My 2 cents.

As you had mentioned, you have did several rescaping for the past months. Rooting and un-rooting plants or changing of plants will caused some imbalance to the tank cycle. Every major change is like re-cyclng your tank which may take days or week.

Happy planting.

[composition]

Thinking of doing a major overhaul, but that frightens me with the amount work I need to do. Meanwhile will the fishes survive a few days away from the tank, in a plastic pail?